Ștefănești, a town in the Prut valley in eastern Botoșani county, became a border town when Bessarabia was annexed by Russia in 1812, and by 1886 about three quarters of its inhabitants were Jews. From the mid-19th century it was the seat of a Hasidic court of the House of Ruzhin: Rabbi Menahem Nahum Friedman, son of the Ruzhiner, and after him his son Rabbi Avraham Mattityahu, “the Angel”, who died childless in 1933. His remains were later reburied in Israel, but the ohel in the town’s cemetery still draws Hasidim and their prayer notes. In the Second World War the town’s Jews were removed to Botoșani; after the war most emigrated to Israel.
In a town about three quarters Jewish, a Ruzhin Hasidic court flourished for more than sixty years. Rabbi Avraham Mattityahu Friedman, “the Angel”, died in 1933 and was reburied in Israel, yet his ohel…
The Federation’s directory lists no Jewish community in Ștefănești. The nearest registered community is in Botoșani, about 40 km away as the crow flies.
Details from the community directory of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania (FCER), checked on 5 November 2026. Contact the community before visiting to arrange access to the synagogue or cemetery and to ask about a minyan and kosher food. FCER community directory
No address on the official list
From the Federation’s cemetery list (2007). Arrange visits in advance with the community, which holds the keys.
Map of Jewish cemeteries in RomaniaAstronomical calculation for the town-centre coordinates, sea-level horizon, Romanian time: dawn 16.1°, tallit & tefillin 11.5°, nightfall 7.083°, candle lighting 18 minutes before sunset, Shabbat ends 8.5°. For orientation only; consult a rabbi on questions of halacha.
We found no branch of the large chains in town. Stock up in a larger town on the way.
Hundreds of products from Romanian supermarkets with a recognised hechsher. In the catalogue you can filter by the chain you shop at.
Open the kosher catalogueGeneral guidance for travellers. For any kashrut question, consult a rabbi.
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